Final Paper- The Matrix

Janera Angevine

English 101/103

Matrix

                              SUSPICIOUS ABOUT LIFE AS YOU KNOW IT? COME TO THE MATRIX!

Would you believe a philosopher if he told you our senses cannot be and should not be trusted? Would you consider there is an evil deceiver? What if a computer program was all you knew, but it was designed to manipulate your mind? In the movie, The Matrix, Neo is forced not to depend on his senses and life he knows as reality. A famous philosopher by the name Rene Descartes wrote a book named, Meditation on First Philosophy, and his philosophical point of view helps distinguish the difference between mind and body through meditation. This connects to Neo in the movie The Matrix because he is constantly trying to distinguish what is real or not by comparing his mind certainty to what his senses forces him to believe. In this essay, I will discuss Descartes’s book and the ways it relates to Neo’s character in The Matrix; also I will discuss how they’re both forced not to trust anything physical to the eye because of the "differiation" between the mind and body. The two realize you have to question everything because you can only trust certainty and certainty lies within the mind.

In 1641, Descartes wrote a book named, "Meditation on First Philosophy." The book discussed his acceptance for "false opinions for true," which can be doubted. This connects to the movie because Neo initially accepts any physical matter to be certain until he enters the world of the matrix. While living on Earth Neo adapted to his surroundings causing him to adopt the cultural beliefs, in which he is to trust his five senses. Later, he realizes even physical objects can be highly doubted. Descartes’s reason for believing anything he sees as real was because he was "convinced" as a child and accepted "many false opinions for true." Rene Descartes applied this rule for everyone and decided we all were convinced at a young age to trust our senses. At first, Neo’s mind and body constantly conflicts because the only world he knew was Earth and it was a place where you depended on your five senses. Descartes rejected the belief in trusting your senses and "adopted, and of commencing anew the work of building from the foundation." By "adopting this foundation," Rene Descartes says he was able to "overthrow all former opinions" meaning everything he thought was true as a child he freed from his mind. Descartes related anything new he adopted as an adult to be based on science and math because they were certain. Certain in a way that they cannot be wrong because no matter how many times you solve the same problem you will get the same answer when dealing with both fields. Certainty is the foundation used for Descartes’s new "firm and abiding superstructure." Descartes distinguished the difference between something being true and something being certain. Some things can be true, but we do not know if it is certain. However, if something is certain it cannot possibly be false. This brings about the questioning of out five senses and can they be trusted. Well, Descartes says our five senses cannot be trusted.

Descartes says our five senses cannot be trusted because it is not certain like the mind. In The Matrix, Morpheus gives Neo two choices in choosing the red or blue pill. The red pill offers Neo insight on the truth about the matrix. The blue pill allows Neo to go back to his ordinary life as Thomas Anderson consisting of a regular job and his normal routine. As Neo goes about his everyday life he knows something is peculiar because he can perceive another world in his ordinary life. The audience is expecting Neo to take the red pill based off the beginning of the movie when he makes it very clear that he has a curiosity about the matrix and persistent in finding the answer. There is a scene,
 in beginning of the movie, when Neo is in a car with Switch and Trinity, which are two female individuals who are already a part of the matrix. These women are talking to Neo and trying to convince him why choosing the red pill will be his best choice. Switch says, "Listen to me, coppertop! We don’t have time for ‘twenty questions’ right now there is only one option. Our way or the high way." (Wachowski, 24) Neo responds by saying, "Fine" (24) and opening the car door. Trinity stops him by saying, "Neo, please, you have to trust me." Neo ask, "Why?" (24) Trinity finally says, "Because you’ve been down there, Neo. You already know that road. You know exactly where it ends." (25) As a result, Neo choose the red pill because now he knows there is another world other than the world he lives in and that is the matrix. Descartes would say the reason behind Neo’s decision in choosing the red pill is because his mind knows it is real, so it’s real. Neo had the option to gain knowledge about the matrix and he took it as oppose to ignoring it.

There is a distinct difference between reality and imagination when dealing with the mind and body.
 The body cannot live without the mind.  Reality is considered everything inside the mind like thinking and doubting. Imagination is everything we use or come in contact with outside the body that involves us using our five senses. Epistemology in philosophy terms means, "theory of knowledge" this comes into place with the mind and body because knowledge is gained by thinking. One example would be wax. Let’s say we have two boxes of wax, one box of wax has fire underneath and the other does not. Of course we know based on logic that the box of wax under the fire will melt causing the form to change. If it was up to our senses the box of wax in solid form and the box of wax in liquid form would be considered different. The mind allows you to process that the box of solid wax is the same as the box of liquid wax, but they’re in different forms.

If something can be doubted Descartes suggest us not to trust it because it cannot be certain. This goes into the method of doubt. The method of doubt is about certainty. Certainty is based off foundation. Foundation is always true like math and science. Descartes based everything off the foundation of math and science because the results are always certain. He based everything on math and science do to the fact that he knew everything would be certain if based off these foundations. Something’s can be true, but we cannot always be certain. However, if something is certain it cannot possibly be false. Our senses not being trusted are based on two phenomena’s, which are hallucination and dreams. Our senses make us believe what we are looking at is real when dealing with hallucination. Likewise, in dreams our senses have us under the impressions that were in an actual place or time. Throughout, the movie Neo is constantly being plugged into a computer program that manipulates his mind. Neo learns to think rationally and uses common knowledge to gain power of the body through the mind. Hallucinations and dreams are both ways our senses deceive us. When we hallucinate we believe what is in our sight is true because our senses tell us so. Likewise, in our dreams we are also being deceived because our senses have us under the impression that we are in this actual place or time because we can feel everything, hear everything, touch, taste and smell everything, but we are only dreaming. "The fact that you can doubt something, have a dream, think and have an illusions means you exist"

 "I think therefore I am." This is Descartes signature quote. This quotes means whenever you are thinking, doubting or having an illusion it is certain you exist because someone has to do the thinking, doubting and having the illusion. But he then says what if there was an evil deceiver? Would we know? The answer to that would be no. Like Morpheus who is constantly telling Neo what is true and what not to believe; Neo has no idea as to what is real or not because Morpheus has him plugged into a computer. Neo experiences a virtual reality while being plugged into the computer program. Virtual reality is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world as well as in imaginary worlds. When Neo is plugged into the computer his mind is one place and his body is another. However, this was not Neo’s first encounter with virtual reality. Every time Neo is plugged into the matrix he is aware that he is dreaming. Once, Neo is unplugged from the matrix and plugged back into the matrix he able to pin point what is real based on his mind and senses. For example, the first time Neo is plugged into the computer program he sees a chair and television set. Neo’s first thought was the chair and television has to be real because I can see it and touch it. However, Morpheus says, "What is real? How do you define real? If you’re talking about what you feel, taste, smell or see, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain." (Wachowski 39) Eventually, Neo accepts nothing of sensory substance to be real. Neo acquires what is real as he continues on his journey through the matrix. Neo’s discovery of this new reality within the matrix is similar to the way Rene Descartes revealed his own discovery due to the fact that they both depended on their senses at first, but learned to question everything. Rene Descartes ended up waiting until he got a certain age to adopt a new foundation of viewing the truth.

 Neo’s first comprehension of the matrix seems complicated, puzzling, and shocking because it is nothing he had ever seen before. The truth seemed like a blur to Neo at first, but once he gained full knowledge and became certain of the circumstance of being a major part of another world he became accepting. Descartes efforts to making the world see the difference between the mind and body seemed almost unbelievable. Usually a movie can help people see things a bit more clearly, but not even The Matrix could help us understand. Living your life day by day using your senses to depict things and suddenly being told that your senses cannot be trusted seems puzzling to any human being. The puzzling question is, if my senses cannot be trusted how can I exist? Descartes’s answer would be as long as you can doubt your existence you exist. No matter if a person or computer program manipulates your mind you know you exist because of your ability to doubt, think and have an illusion. In conclusion, it’s not that you should believe there is an evil deceiver, but if there is a deceiver there is no way to know.

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　
Work Cited

Descartes, Rene. Meditation 1. Of things of which we may doubt. (Stanford

 Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Web. 09 May 2012.


http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/descartes-epistemology/.

The Matrix
. Prod. Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski. Dir. Andy Wachowksi and                                  

 Larry Wachowski. By Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski. 1999. [DVD]

Oreck, Josh, dir. Philosopher of the Matrix. Josh Oreck, 2004. YouTube. Web. 09 May. 2012.

Wachowski, Andy and Larry. The Matrix. Numbered Shooting Script. March 1998.

The Daily  Script
June 2012 <
http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/the_matrix.pdf

Adaptation

The movie adaptation explores the worlds of imagination and reality through the characters, a novel and a orchid flower. The movie opens up with the main character which is also the narrator, Charles. Charles is a screenwriter with low self esteem. He wants to make a movie based on a book called, The Orchid Thief. The book was written by a woman named Susan Orleans. Susan Orleans wrote this book because she wants to feel  passion for something. In the process of writing the book she discovered a man named John. John knew a lot about orchids so Susan decided to interview him and use the questions and answers in her book. As a result, Susan and John started having and affair and using orchids as drugs. As someone in the audience I am put into a position where I do not know what is real or not. It is hard to tell what is real or not because the author leaves you in suspense. The author is manipulating reality and imagination because he is pulling everything from the real world and joining it in with fiction clips to leave the audience questioning what is real or imaginary. However, there is a way to figure out what is real or what is a part of his imagination. A simple internet search can solve all the audience problems and put an end to all the questions. In a strange way most people do not want the answers because they enjoy not knowing the truth. The author is very creative about making the audience uncertain of reality because he makes it difficult to point out what aspects of the movie is real or not. The title of the movie however foreshadows the entire movie. The word adaptation can be used in a range of things. The reality of the movie is the title itself, adaptation. Although, the audience cannot tell what is real or not in the movie everything throughout the movie is caused to adapt. The man who wrote this movie touched on three different types of adaptation. One use of adaptation is the psychological theme of adaptation. Everyone in the movie was forced to adapt in their environment. The main character Charles was forced to adapt the book The Orchid Thief into a movie. Susan Orleans was forced to adapt through her personal life experience. John was forced to adapt into Susan Orleans world and thought process. Another theme is the novel that is adapted into the movie. Charles struggles over a long period of time to find a way to turn the novel into a movie. The final use of adaptation is the biological use. The orchid itself was forced to adapt in the different environment. With all these events that are happening in the story it is hard to distinguish what is reality or imaginary. The people, orchid and novel are real, but the events taken place leaves a number of questions.  

LIB -Gertrude Stein poem

       The poem written by Gertrude Stein for Picasso was both objective and subjective. It was objective because it was a poem and the words used were not unique.  What I mean by the words were not unique is the words are in the dictionary they were not unusual and made up.  However, the words as well as the style of the poem made it subjective.

       In an objective sense, Ms. Stein just wanted to use a poem because that is her profession.  A poem was best for her because that is how she expresses herself. Picasso describes her in a painting because that is the way he express himself and she wrote a poem because that is the way she expresses herself. In general poems and painting are hobbies, but Picasso and Gertrude Stein express themselves with a different style.

        In a subjective sense ---- wrote the poem in a very unique way. For one the stanzas were very unusual because it did not follow a specific pattern. The rhythm was consistent, but the words did not rhyme. The words were repetitive, but not in different stanzas, they were collided together and repeated. The most subjective part about the poem was the music that came with it. Usually a poem makes it’s own beat based off of it’s own rhythm, but not this poem. To me it seemed as if she was writing to the beat. 

The Island of Dr. Moreau -Chapter Two

Chapter Two

In the second chapter, a young man has found Edward Prendick. Prendick is still recovering from starvation, lack of water and heat burn so; he is pretty oblivious to his surroundings. The setting takes place in a small and untidy cabin where Edward Prendick is found. He woke up in this cabin to a young man who appears to be someone in the medical field. The man is holding his wrist and asking him questions. Shortly, after, Prendick woke up to the man holding his wrist they starred at each other and heard a strange noise which distracted Prendick. The young man is telling Prendick about the way he found him and the condition he was in. However, Prendick introduces his interlocutor named Montgomery. Montgomery states he injected Edward Prendick with something that taste like blood, but made him stronger.  The medicine or stuff that was injected into Prendick made him “insensible for nearly thirty hours.”(6) Prendick continuously heard the strange noise while in the cabin, but ignored it and asked for something to eat. As Prendick memory began to recover he started to enlighten the other men about himself. Yet, Prendick continued to hear the strange sound but, this last time he heard it, the noise startled him an as he went to ask Montgomery about the noise, the interlocutor ran out of the door. After one day of sleep, Prendick felt fully recovered and was able to walk on his own.  That morning when Prendick woke up he asked Montgomery for clothes and the destination of the ship. Montgomery told him that the captain was a drunk so do not get on his bad side and the ship was headed to Hawaii.

Painting Description

Edvard Munch

Norwegian, 1863-1944

The Strom 1893 36 1/8 x51 ½” (91.8x 130.8 cm)

The setting in the painting says a stormy evening. You can see the objects in the painting, but not clearly. The community looks gated because you only see two homes rather than an entire community. This painting looks like a painting whereas other paintings portray itself as a photograph. All the figures in the painting seem to be women. In the background of the women there are homes. All the lights in the homes are turned on and have bright yellow lights. The rain is powerful because the tree is tilted to the left, emphasizing the strong wind. These women look fairly wealthy. The women look as if they all live together. The environment looks clean and sort of proper because of the brick walkway and beautiful homes. A woman in a white dress is standing out in the painting because the entire painting has dull colors like dark green, blue and brown. Then you have a woman in a shiny white dress standing alone. The other women hands are raised to the sky as if they are praying. The painting is clearly enough to see the figures, but you can tell the artists created this blurry painting for a reason. In the painting, you can see the strokes of the brush and that it is oil on canvas.

I chose this painting because it seemed unusual and stood out. The woman in the white dress caught my attention because it makes me wonder why she’s standing there alone. Although, the artist did not paint a clear picture I can still see the images and can paint a clear picture in my head because he gave it a title. The title helps because if you just look at the picture you would think the artist is just drawing women standing outside of their homes. I look at the painting and think maybe the rain means something emotional because usually rain makes you think of tears or death. The title says, “The Storm” making me feel like the painting is going to be dark, dull and full of rain, but in the painting you can hardly see the rain and there are aspects of the painting that are bright and stand out.

Comparison of Videos LIB

In the video, " In Search of Human Origins" by, Don Joe Hanson it explained the way Homohabilis survived years ago. This does not relate to the Dennis Dutton video because the Dennis Dutton video defined the true definition of beauty. However, I think the video by Don Joe Hanson and the Dennis Dutton video are trying to send the viewer the same message; everything we do today relates back to our ancestors. In the Don Joe Hanson video it dwelled on the art of survival and the different theories that came about based off fossils. In the Dennis Dutton video it defined beauty by going back to our ancestors and comparing what we do now and implying we developed from them. The process of how our ancestors may have lived using imagination and the scientific research connects to art because these early humans passed down our gift of being creative and thinking logically. SUMMARY OF DON JOE HANSON VIDEO: In the video, In Search of Human Origins it discussed the Homohabilis ways of surviving. The movie was about fossils found many years ago and the way researchers developed their theories about how our ancestors survived in the wild. The first theory was our ancestors were hunter and gatherers. The researchers based this theory off the fossils they found. The second theory was our ancestors were herbivores. The researchers based this off the fact that our ancestors gathered vegetables, berries and nuts. The third theory was our ancestors were scavengers. The researchers based this off the fact that these early humans did not kill animals. The early humans were scavengers because they would eat what another animal killed but, they did not kill animals themselves. The video discussed a woman named Lusie and said, " she was the first up-right human. This woman, Lusie, was the starting point of humans meaning she was the line between the apes and humans. The researchers looked at the way Lusie lived and realized our early humans did not have weapons making them very easy to kill.

A street car named desire 1st draft

In the play, " A Street Car Named Desire" by, Tennesse Williams he uses symbolism to illustrate the similarities and differences between the characters Stanley and Blanche.

Blanche is a main character in the play and portrayed as pure and innocent. The author even goes as far as telling the reader how elegant she was dressed and how delicate the fabric was, in the beginning of the play. Tennesse Williams says, "her appearance is incongruous to the setting. She looks as if she were arriving at a summer tea or cocktail party in the garden district." (7) To the reader this implies Blanche is this pure and innocent butterfly because she is dressed in this "perfect" attire but, she is clearly overdressed making the reader assume she is in a dirty environment. Giving the impression that the environment is dirty and rough makes the reader assume Blanche is out of place and has no business being there. However, in the following sentence, after describing Blanche's beautiful appearance the author contradicts the character by calling her a moth. " There is something about her uncertain manner that suggest a moth." (7)A moth is defined as, " ...aren't pretty lil' butterflies at all... they are ugly yet clever little turds who find their way into your room at night." I believe in the beginning of the play Tennesse Williams uses a butterfly to define Blanche in order to foreshadow her other side symbolized by a moth. Blanche does turn out to be an sneaky and secretive woman who uses her body to manipulate men to get what she wants.
Stanley Kowalski is Blanche's brother in law and the first man she tried to manipulate with her "moth" ways. Stanley was portrayed as the macho man. In the beginning of the play it starts off with Stanley yelling at his wife. Stanley then, threw a package of meat covered in blood at his wife. " Stanely: tossing a package of meat, covered with blood, to Stella. Catch!" (6) Although, the author did not use direct symbolism with Stanley like Blanche, he uses actions to to imply what characteristics Stanley resembles, a caveman. Stanley like a caveman is ignorant to the outside world. Throughout, the play no matter how much his wife Stella tried to convince him of how much of a good person her sister Blanche was he could not comprehend because he was so stuck on the way he saw her. Likewise, a caveman was known for not wearing a shirt. Stanley first action he did in the play was take his shirt off he says, " my shirt is sticking to me. Do you mind if I make myself comfortable ?" (18) As you can see Stanley felt most comfortable with his caveman mentality, walking around without a shirt, yelling and living off red meat.